1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for exchanging room air with fresh outside air and for continually subjecting a portion of the room air to gas filtration during the exchange.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus for exchanging air within a room or other enclosure with fresh outside air are known. With the increased emphasis on constructing tightly-sealed buildings and homes for energy conservation purposes, there has developed a corresponding awareness for the need to exhaust stale (and possibly toxic) room air and replace it with fresh outside air. One of the problems associated with such an exchange is the introduction of cool drafts caused by the sudden influx of colder air from the outside. This problem essentially has been solved by the use of some form of heat exchange device which alternately stores heat given up by the exhausted air and heats the fresh air being supplied from the outside.
When conditions within the room or enclosure require (or make it desirable) that the air be cleaned beyond mere removal of airborne particles, however, workers in the art have resorted to the use of separate gas filtration devices. These devices, usually of the adsorptive type, typically remove odors, smoke and other noxious substances. As far as it is known, no attempt has been made to combine in an efficient, compact package an air exchange capability with an air cleaning capability.